The county moves forward with its homeless shelter despite concerns from the High Speed Rail Authority, Tiler Peck shows up in the Ray Donovan series and ABC23's Tim Calahan calls it quits

* ... THREE CHEERS: You just have to love the county's response to the California High-Speed Rail Authority who signaled it has a problem with the county's location for a new low barrier homeless shelter. The Authority warned it may need the land over off Golden State Highway where the shelter is being built. The county's response: we are going forward. Said county communications director Megan Person: “The talk about the high speed rail has been going on for 20 years. So the

county is just saying we are not going to be holding our breath anymore. We have a crisis that we need to address. We understand we’re in the pathway. We’re moving forward... ” This is exactly the kind of response we need, and I for one applaud it. The idea that this state boondoggle called high speed rail could de-rail (pardon the pun) an important project is absurd.

 * ... WAS THAT TILER PECK?: It's not every day when you are watching one of your favorite cable shows and you spot a Bakersfield girl in the cast. But there she was, our own Tiler Peck, a member of the New York City Ballet, appearing on a Showtime episode of Ray Donovan. Peck appeared in the season debut of Ray Donovan's new season called “Faith. Hope. Love. Luck" as the friend (girlfriend?) in a character pursued and beaten by Ray Donovan. Peck is not only a star with the ballet, but she regularly dabbles in TV and movies.

 * ... TIM CALAHAN: Adios to Tim Calahan, ABC23's evening anchor who brought wit, dignity and insight into our homes nightly. Calahan won't say what his next move is, but he appears to be staying in town and looking for a new chapter that does not involve the demanding hours of being a TV anchor. Calahan previously worked for KGET and the Mission of Kern County before joining KERO TV.

 * ... SPOTTED ON TWITTER: From Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak: "In order to save our planet, I’m asking everyone in America who’s 73-years-old or older to join me in pledging not to have any more children. #SignThePledge."

 * ... BAD FORM: I spotted this post on Facebook regarding some alleged thieves at The Marketplace. It read: "So today at Vons at the Marketplace, I saw management kicking three known shoplifters out. I decided to take a few pictures of their plate as they left. The fat one in the pictures below rolled down the rear window and struck me in the face and chest with an unopened bottle of Gatorade as they fled. Unfortunately, BPD doesn't have the ability to run the numbers on the temp plates the DMV uses now like they can a regular plate. They did take a report for assault with a deadly weapon. If you know where these pieces of trash live, please let me know.
Vons management stated these three have stolen around $12k in liquor from them this year and are known to hit multiple stores in a day."

 * ... FIRE MUSEUM: Have you heard about the proposed new fire museum downtown? It will be located directly behind the Fox Theater and across from the downtown fire station on G Street. Check out the artist rendering.

 * ... BRATCHER: A new home design business has opened on 18th Street next to Sequoia Sandwich Co. downtown. Bratcher design studio was founded by creative director Brooke Bratcher, who has worked in residential interior design for more than eight years. The store is open from 10 am. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, the studio offers "grab and go" items and exclusive furniture lines, as well as a space for planning customized interiors.

* .. MEMORIES: Yet another trip down memory lane looking at 19th Street back in the day.

Rep. McCarthy: New research on Valley Fever and it is time for the federal government to abandon California's high-speed rail

 House Minority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy checks in with his weekly contribution to Bakersfield Observed. In his words:



 "Last week I held a Valley Fever Roundtable at the U.S. Capitol, bringing together Members of Congress, leading Valley Fever researchers, patient advocates, doctors, and scientists from the

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and National Institutes of Health (NIH). It was an excellent opportunity to bring together the brightest minds from around the country for an update on efforts to combat Valley Fever. This meeting also served as a chance to address the progress that has occurred and must continue in order to fight this disease.

"Doctors and scientists taking the lead are working diligently to develop a vaccine and I’m proud to report that an updated research study is being conducted by NIH, in partnership with Duke University, which will hopefully bring to light new solutions to stamp out Valley Fever. I’m thankful to all of our attendees and panelists, including Dr. Chiller (CDC), Dr. Erbelding (National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases/NIH), Dr. Royce Johnson who is leading the fight back home at Kern Medical, and Rob Purdie who has been a passionate advocate at the Valley Fever Americas Foundation. Together we can continue building upon our successes while working to find new ways to stop this disease in its tracks.

 "This week I also introduced a new bill called the Repurposing Assets to Increase Long-term Water Availability and Yield (RAILWAY) Act. The RAILWAY Act would end the Federal government’s involvement in the failed California High-Speed Rail project by repurposing up to $3.5 billion in recovered Federal funding for the California High-Speed Speed Rail project to water storage infrastructure projects as outlined in the bipartisan WIIN Act. Under the WIIN Act, five storage projects in California are advancing, and when completed, could provide 5 million acre-feet of additional water storage in our state. This is a far better use of taxpayer money that can address more important needs in our state, and I’m happy to report that every Republican Member of the California Congressional Delegation joined served as cosponsors of the RAILWAY Act. We will continue fighting for Californians across our state.

McCarthy: Time for Obama to stop telling us what we 'need' like high speed rail

   Rep. Kevin McCarthy, House Majority Whip, gives us his weekly view from Capitol Hill. In his words:

 "February 6 marked President Ronald Reagan’s 101st birthday. What strikes me most when I reflect on his life is that his words and actions continue to inspire America. He truly believed in this country

and America was “mankind’s best hope.” He also deeply respected our fundamental constitutional rights, vigilantly protecting them from judicial activism and government interference.
 "This week, it was hard to ignore the uproar surrounding the Obama Administration’s mandate that flouted religious freedoms and our First Amendment rights. In attempting to implement the new health care law (whose own constitutionality is currently in question in the Supreme Court), the Administration set out new rules that would force religiously-affiliated organizations to comply with mandates in Obamacare, even if those mandates infringe on their conscience and beliefs. I join many of you who have called my office in outrage to this decision, and I will work to ensure this action does not stand.

"Unfortunately, this Administration has made a habit of telling the American people what they ‘need.’ This week, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood was in California to talk about how badly the state needed high-speed rail (HSR). Sound bites are nice, but the fact is that HSR is the last thing California’s strained budget and overburdened taxpayers need. The money’s not there, the ridership estimates are exaggerated and the people don’t want it. Both the Bakersfield City Council and Kern County Board of Supervisors voted to oppose the project, and 59 percent of voters say given the chance to vote again, they would vote no.

 "The Federal Government is going into its fourth year of $1 trillion deficits and the State of California could run out of money by early March. HSR is not a smart investment, and I’m continuing to push
legislation to freeze all unspent federal dollars for the project. Many Californians work hard to support their families, save for their kid’s college, and build a nest egg for retirement, all the while
paying taxes to Washington and Sacramento. We must do more to ensure that government respects the money you send to Washington and spends it carefully.

 "Despite all our challenges, America remains strong and I remain optimistic. I am reminded of President Reagan’s farewell speech, where he described that shining city on a hill. President Reagan said, “I’ve
spoken of the shining city all my political life, but I don’t know if I ever quite communicated what I saw when I said it.  But in my mind it was a tall, proud city built on rocks stronger than oceans, windswept, God-blessed, and teeming with people of all kinds living in harmony and peace; a city with free ports that hummed with commerce and creativity. And if there had to be city walls, the walls had doors
and the doors were open to anyone with the will and the heart to get here. That’s how I saw it, and see it still.” And that’s how I see it, and see it still.

McCarthy: California high-speed rail is the next Big Dig; will introduce a bill to cut off federal funding

 House Majority Whip Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) weighs in on the California High-Speed Rail project. In his words:

 "Many remember the Big Dig in Boston. The project was bankrolled mostly by federal dollars, finished years behind schedule and billions over budget. Referred to by many as a ‘black hole’ of government waste, it was the most expensive public works project in American history at the time. Even with such an example to learn from, California is still barreling ahead on a high-speed rail (HSR) project that could rival the Big Dig in cost overruns and delays.

 "HSR has proven a drain on government coffers. Every HSR line in the world requires some sort of government subsidy, and a 2008 Amtrak study found that six of Europe’s passenger rail systems require a combined annual subsidy of $42 billion. That’s in addition to the initial investment. Unfortunately, many are turning a blind eye to these facts. The Obama Administration has already obligated around $10.1 billion in federal funds to projects across the country, and is calling for more.

 "The California High-Speed Rail Authority (CHSRA) has touted California’s project as the nation’s first true HSR. But if their plan is the model, we’re in trouble. Aside from ever-changing ridership projections, sub-par business plans and incomprehensive Environmental Impact Reports (EIR), the numbers don’t add up. The Authority puts the cost of building Phase One from Los Angeles to San Francisco at $43 billion, but independent studies say it could be anywhere from $65 to $80 billion, and some report the entire project could top $116 billion.
 "Even taking the rosiest estimates, the money isn’t there. Our nation is $14.3 trillion in debt and running a $1.5 trillion deficit, and our state isn’t doing much better. California has faced deficits in the tens of billions of dollars for years, and there is no end in sight. The $9 billion in bonds voters approved in 2008 for HSR will add a $1 billion annual burden to the state over the next two decades, according to the Legislative Analyst’s Office. That means $1 billion less for higher education, parks, firefighting and other services. Furthermore, operating costs could top $1.5 billion annually – meaning if the already questionable ridership estimates don’t materialize, California would be on the hook for an annual subsidy.
"This potential ‘train to nowhere’ would have profound impacts on Bakersfield. The Authority’s EIR shows people, homes and churches would be displaced, and the line would run right through Bakersfield High School. I refuse to allow our community to be disrupted when so much uncertainty remains about the viability of the project as a whole.

 "That’s why I will introduce legislation freezing federal funding for this project until more evidence can be gathered to determine its feasibility. Absent reliable numbers and estimates on what HSR will really cost taxpayers, it’s foolish to keep throwing money hoping for a good result.

 "HSR sounds good in theory, but the facts tell a different story. Government should be focusing on smart and responsible uses of taxpayer dollars, not on building new and massive annual obligations into already-strained budgets.

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